Master Gardeners to recommend trees at lecture

Thursday

Oct 12, 2017 at 11:19 AMOct 12, 2017 at 11:19 AM

By News Bulletin contributor

CRESTVIEW — Okaloosa County Master Gardeners will host the final free gardening education lecture of the year soon.

The free program is 10-11 a.m. Oct. 18 at the Okaloosa County Extension office, 3098 Airport Road, Crestview. Participants may stay after the lecture and enjoy the nature trail Master Gardeners have planted behind the office. Call 689-5850 to register due to limited seating.

Maria Wilson, guest speaker, will recommend 10 trees for Northwest Florida landscapes at the event. This includes the Red bay; the White Fringetree; and the Sweet Olive. She will also address the current spread of the “laurel wilt,”a fungal disease spread by non-native red bay ambrosia beetles. It affects red bay and other trees in the laurel family, kills avocado trees and is rapidly expanding.

A Senior Forester for Okaloosa County, Wilson spent this summer and fall working on the Norse Peak fire in Washington, and recently visited some of the hurricane-affected locations to help with the devastation done to the trees.

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